I stood there, heart racing, trying to process what had just happened. The audacity of that guy-
who did he think he was?
I could still feel the heat of his gaze lingering on me, and it made my skin crawl.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to shake off the encounter.
"Forget it," I muttered to myself, turning back to my unpacking.
I needed to focus on settling in and preparing for training, not getting tangled up in whatever game he was playing.
As I pulled on my training suit, I couldn't help but replay the exchange in my mind.
He was infuriating, but there was something about his confidence that was hard to ignore.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I wasn't here to make friends or get involved in drama; I was here to make my mom proud.
After a few minutes, I finally finished getting ready and stepped out of my room, determined to put the encounter behind me.
The hallway was bustling with students, some chatting, others rushing to their next class.
I navigated through the crowd, keeping my head down, but I could feel eyes on me.
"Hey, new girl!" a voice called out, and I turned to see a group of students waving me over.
I hesitated, glancing back toward my room, but curiosity got the better of me. I approached them cautiously.
"Welcome to St. Vladimirs!" one of them said, her smile bright and genuine.
"I'm Jolie, and these two over here are Dex and Jakeson." She gestured to the two guys beside her, who nodded in greeting.
"Thanks, I'm Baby," I replied. "I'm just getting settled in."
"Yeah, we heard about the transfer," Jake said, leaning against the wall with a casual air. "You'll love it here... if you aren't desperate."
He shot a glance down the hall, and I followed his gaze to see the guy who had barged into my room earlier.
"Yep, that's Xavier," Dex said, rolling his eyes. "He's a piece of work."
"More like the court jester," Jakeson added with a laugh.
"Wrong. More like Dracula's hotter, grumpier great-grandson," I muttered, still feeling the heat of our earlier confrontation. "Is he some kind of royal or something?"
"Royal? Where did you get that from?" Jolie laughed. "He's a guardian just like any one of us, except he's the top-ranking."
"Not for long, though, because the next time we have a rematch, he's gonna beg for my mercy," Jakeson added.
"Yeah, I don't think so. You said that last year, last month, and even yesterday, and yet you still flinch at the mention of his name," Dex teased.
"Really, Dex?!" Jake growled.
"What! It's not like I'm telling lies."
"Maybe you should keep that bubble mouth of yours shut."
"I'll do it if you do."
"I hope you don't mind; those rascals fight even more than Tom and Jerry."l heard Jolie say.
"Haha, no, I actually find them entertaining."
"Then I guess we're both stuck with them."
As we chatted, I felt a little more at ease. They seemed friendly enough, and I appreciated the distraction from my earlier encounter.
But in the back of my mind, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.
"Hey, you should join us for training later," Jolie suggested, breaking me from my thoughts. "It'll be fun, and you'll get to meet more people."
"Sure, I'll be there in just a sec," I replied, feeling a spark of excitement. "I could use a distraction."
As we made plans, I couldn't help but glance back down the hall. Xavier was still watching, a knowing smile on his face.
I rolled my eyes, but deep down, I felt a mix of annoyance and intrigue. This was going to be a wild ride, and I was ready for whatever came next.